Literary Analysis
Chunking
Method
Analysis
• Analysis: To take a part and
examine closely.
• Literary analysis: take apart a
text (a piece of literature) and
examine it carefully with a
specific purpose/intention.
Analogy
• Just as a scientist would take a part and
examine a moon rock to determine its
mineral make up, a writer takes a part a text
to look at the literary elements and author’s
style.
• A scientist makes a hypothesis
• A writer make a thesis statement
• Both need to be proven with specific
evidence and explanation for the evidence
provided!
Never, Ever
• Avoid using I, ME, MY, MY
• Avoid I believe, In my opinion, I will tell
you, I thing
• Avoid the word “thing(s)”
• Don’t use “You, YOUR, Yourself”
because this is breaking the fourth wall
• All subjects should be the character
names and corresponding pronouns
(Rainsford and he)
ALWAYS, FOREVER
• Put short story titles and poetry in italics or
quotes
• Example “The Most Dangerous Game.”
• Punctuation always goes INSIDE the
quotation mark
• Indent paragraphs
• Use PRESENT TENSE. Literature is a live!
• Put a comma after all appositives
• The short story, “The Lady or the Tiger breaks
the fourth wall.”
Body Paragraph
• Focus statement: identify
topic/point/purpose and introduce
the title and author
• Clear details from the story
• Clear explanations, reasons,
opinions, thoughts for each detail
• Closing sentence
Thesis Statement
• Include author’s name (give them credit! It’s difficult to
get published)
• Include title (need to know what text you are
examining (analyzing)
• Have a topic WITH supporting reasons
• Example topic: Rainsford is dynamic.
BORING!
In Richard Connell’s short story, “The Most Dangerous
Game,” it is evident that Rainsford is a dynamic
character because his attitude, tactics, and ideas
toward hunting change from the beginning to the end.
Concrete Detail
• Specific, relevant detail
directly from the text! This is
the proof and evidence that
comes from the text!
• Use a quote from the story
• Use a summary
If you use a quote…
•
•
•
•
•
Introduce the quote
Use correct punctuation.
Make sure it relates to topic
Try to add citations (you should do it)
Rainsford’s attitude toward hunting changes
when the narrator states, “Rainsford knew
now how an animal at bay feels” (25).
If you summarize
• Be clear, be specific, be detailed
• Try to use the page number, too
• When General Zaroff approaches
each trap, Rainsford begins to feel
like the animals that he once
hunted; he feels fear and pain (25).
Commentary
• Use 2 after each Concrete
Detail
• Commentary: Your ideas,
reactions, responses,
explanations, reasons,
opinions
Commentary
• Identify why you chose this
particular example
• Tell why it is
significant/important
• Always connect back to the topic
Commentary
• This is significant
because…(insert your opinion)
• This shows that…
• This means…
• Therefore…
• In this way…
• It is evident…
Closing Sentence
• Don’t REPEAT topic
sentence
• Draw your own conclusion
based on the evidence you
provided
EXAMPLE
• EXAMPLE OF THE
CHUNKING….LET’S DO THE
COMMENTARY TOGETHER!
Rainsford, the protagonist in Richard Connell’s short story, “The
Most Dangerous Game,” is a dynamic character since he alters his
views and attitudes about hunting from the beginning of the story
until the end.
Specifically, in the beginning Rainsford says to his friend, Whitney,
“The world is made up of two classes-the hunters and the hunted
(13). ”
This shows that ………………………………………………………………………
Furthermore, …………………………………………………………………………
However, his initial reaction changes when he uses logic to outsmart
General Zaroff because he reveals, “Now I know what it feels like to
be a beast at bay” (25).
This is significant because ………………………………………………………
Evidently,……………………………………………………………………………….Even
though Rainsford believes that animals have no feelings, his attitude
towards animals change when he, the hunter, becomes the hunted.